Device for the manufacture of undulated sheets of textile material



. MOHRING DEVICE FOR THE MANUFACTURE GF UNDULATED SHEETS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Nov. 29, 1960` 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 26, l195e;

G. MOHRING DEVICE FOR THE MANUFACTURE GF UNDULATED Nov. 29, 19.60

' SHEETS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed Nov'. 26, 1956 4 Sheets-Shevet 3 Nov. 29, 1960 G. MoHRlNG ,Y 2,961,735 DEVICE FOR THE MANUFACTURE. oF UNDULATED SHEETS 0F TEXTILE MATERIAL-- Filed Nov. 26, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ,Z IN VEN TOR.

MM mf /Z /7 United States Filed Nov. 26, 1956, ser. No. 624,451 12 claims. 31.26-57) This invention relates to a device for the manufacture of .undulated sheets of textile material, particularly of undulated edge portions of the sheets of textile material.

The object of the invention is to provide with simple means a self-adjusting, infinitely variable device, or a devicey adjustable at will, which automatically effects a perrf'ectlyuniform undulation of a sheet of textile fabric and then fastens this undulated sheet on the transporting means to which the sheet is transferred.

Alreadyrknown to the art are several devices used for the creasing or crumpling of sheets of fabric, and having the same object in view. Likewise known is a device in u /hich the Isheet of fabric, fed via rollers ata speed which isgreater than the speed of the transporting means, is seized by a brush-wheel also operated at such greater speed, and then transferred to the transporting means. As the transporting means moves slower than the sheet of fabric fed to it, the sheet of fabric bulges on the fastening means of the transporting means.

Such known devices do not produce the undulations positively, so that undesirable crushed folds result especially if the speed of web feed is made relatively great compared with the speed of the transporting means for the purpose of achieving a high degree of shrinkage.

Y A satisfactoryconstruction of the device of the invention is hereinafter described. c

A sheet of fabric passing over a roller operated at a speed which is greater than the speed of the transporting means, is fed to the transporting means via the device of the invention. The latter consists, for example, of

an endless, toothed conveyor belt, preferably driven by` suitable driving means, and whose speed corresponds to the speed of the transporting means. The toothing of the conveyor belt may be of any suitable kind according to requirements. In mesh with the toothing of the conveyor belt is a roller having a rim-like portion consisting of elastic material. This roller is forced, either by the pressure of its `own weight or by spring pressure Vor any other suitable means, into mesh or engagement With the toothed conveyor belt. The depth of the engagement, determining the height of the undulations of the fabric, will be controlled by thel difference in speed between the feed roller, operated at such greater speed, and the speed of 'theconveyor belt. The depth of engagement, therefore, adapts itself automatically to the different lengths of the fabric resulting from the difference in speed between `the feed-roller and the conveyor belt.

pHoweveyr, the roller in mesh with the conveyor belt mayi also berxedly adjusted to any desired position and the depth of engagement may be regulated by correspondingly regulating the feed of the web material.

The web of material,- positively and uniformly undulatedin this manner, is transferred to the transporting means' of-a tenter machine (tenter frame) without, for the time being, leaving the undulation-forrning means, the depth of engagement of such web with the fastening or engaging devices (for example, needles) of the transporting means also being capable of being regulated.

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fr l. Y 2,961,7 EC Patented Nov. Z9, 1960 According to the present invention, uniform formation ofthe undulations is no longer left to chance. ln addi# tion, it has been found that woven material is tautened before reaching the toothed belt. This is especially true in the ca-se of the edges of a strip of woven material, the said edges thus ensuring yreliable operation of automatically controlled feed devices. The means, such as feeler levers orrollers, which are to control the feed devices and which, for this purpose, contact the positions of the edges of the web, bear rmly on the taut edges and can thus transmit control impulses reliably and accurately to driving means for the feed devices, whereas they rwould operate inaccurately i-f the edges were loose.

The edges, moreover, can be adjustably tautened as desired by adjustment of the aforesaid speed difference and of the depth of indentation.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which an embodiment of the invention has been shown by way of example. However, I wish to say that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity wit-h the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material .departure from thesalient features ofthe invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of the device;

Figs. 2 and 3 are two fragmentary, sectional views, showing'the depression roller in two differently adjusted positions with respect to the toothing of the conveyor belt;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional side-view, showing how the undulated textile sheet is transferred to a transporting means prov-ided with holding pins;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional sideview, showing `how the undulated textile sheeting is transferred to a transporting means, consisting of a tenter clip chain;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the device according to Fig. 1, mounted at the lateral frame portion of a tenter frame;

Fig. 7 is an elevational endrview of the device illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a plan View of the inlet portion of the device of Fig. 6, including lateral, horizontally mov-ing stretching chains for achieving passage of the textile sheet through the device in laterally stretched condition;

Fig. l0 illustrates in a schematic elevational View an arrangement for adjusting the height ofthe depression roller of Fig. l; and

Fig. ll shows a schematic elevational view of an arrangement wherein depression roller 5 is provided with independent driving means. c

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. l, the reference numeral 1 designates one of a plurality of feed rollers. Reference numeral 2 designates endless, rotating, toothed conveyor belts arranged on each side of the sheet of textile material B, and reference numeral 5 designates depression rollers arranged and rotating axially parallel to the conveyor belts 2 and in. engagement with the teeth ofthe conveyor belts 2. c c

The depression rollers 5, which preferably are devised as brush rollers or provided with some other suitable elastic covering, are in tangential engagement with the holding'means 4, comprising pin-bars or the like, of a transporting chain which takes care of the sub-sequent conveyahce of the sheet of material B. n

The conveyor belts 2, Vtravelling around the guide rollers as well as the depression rollers 5 and adjacentthe holding means 4, move at uniform speed. These means may be driven either jointly or separately. In most cases it will suice to drive only some of these means and to let the other means loosely participate in the movement. However, the feed roller 1 is driven at a greater speed regulable in conformity with the undulating depth desired to be obtained, so that sheet B is fed with the lead which is necessary for the formation of the required undulating depth.

Referring now particularly to the inlet portion shown in Fig. 9, the lateral frame members 8 of the tenter, are horizontally turnable about axes 9 in a manner known per se in order to adjust the distance of the two chains from each other to the width of the web so that the web can be properly attached to holding means 4. Thereby, the lateral frame members embrace the guide means and the frontal guide wheels 10 of the chains. Lateral adjustment is accomplished by means of a threaded shaft 11, as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 9, whereby the lateral frame members may be supported on a guide bar by means of rollers.

According to Figs. 6-9, holding means 4 carry pins or needles. Immediately adjacent to the inner side face of the chains 7, respectively, are toothed transporting conveyors 2, arranged beneath the path of web B, and web B Lis passed to the transporting conveyors 2 from feed roller 1. Each depression roller is arranged about shaft 13 by means of arm 12. Shaft 13 is movably attached to the frame of the tenter. In this manner each depression roller 5 is loosely, pivotally arranged about its corresponding transporting conveyor belt 2 so that the web will be pressed only by the weight of the depression rollers 5 into the gaps formed in the toothed transporting conveyors 2.

As can be seen in Figs. 8 and 9, the width of each depression roller 5 is such that its resilient cylindrical surface portion extends over the needles of holding means 4, so that the lateral portions of the web which have been undulated by being pressed into the gaps of the toothed conveyors 2, will be pressed against the needles of holding means 4. For this reason, as illustrated, toothed conveyors 2 move at the same speed as chains 7. Chains 7 may be driven in any desired manner known per se, for instance, by a motor actuating the (not illustrated) rear guide wheels located at the outlet end of the device. The same motor could actuate both rear guide Wheels, or separate motors can be provided for each of the two rear guide wheels. Toothed conveyors 2 and feed roller 1 can be driven by joint driving means. In Fig. 9, motor 14 and gear mechanism 15 are illustrated for driving via shaft 16 the lower guide rollers 3 of toothed conveyors 2 and also said feed roller 1, in such a manner that toothed conveyors 2 will move with a speed equal to the speed of tenter chains 7, while feed roller 1 Will have a circumferential speed greater than the speed of toothed conveyors 2 in order to feed excess lengths of the web to conveyors 2. This excess web serves for forming the folds during undulation and it is so adjusted that it will be compensated for by the shrinking treatment carried out in the vicinity of the outlet end of the device in such a manner that the first undulated and then shrunk web will be substantially free of folds when leaving the shrinking device.

As shown in Fig. 10, the depth of engagement between the web of material and the toothed conveyor belts, which will determine the height of the undulations of the fabric, can also be controlled by positioning depression roller 5 at one end of arm 60 forming part of pivoted lever arrangement 60--61, pivotally mounted on support member 62 on the shaft indicated by reference numeral 63. Lever arm 61 is formed in its free end portion with a perpendicular threaded bore. Adjusting screw 64 is arranged on support member 62 so as to pass through the threaded bore of lever arm 61 and allowing upward and downward adjustment of lever arm 6]. by turning of the adjusting screw 64, It can be seen that upward movement of lever arm 61 will cause increased downward pressure on depression roller 5, whereby it is assumed in the illustrated embodiment that depression roller 5 is rotated Iby contact with moving toothed conveyor belt 2.

In accordance with the embodiment of Fig. 11, the depression roller 5 is not driven by the conveyor belt 2, but is independently driven. A pulley 65 is driven by a motor, not shown, and drives through a belt 66 a pulley 67 which is connected to a gear 68 for rotation thereof. Gear 68 meshes with a gear 69 rotatably mounted on lever 60 and meshing with a gear 70 secured to the shaft of the depression roller 5. In this manner, depression roller 5 is driven by the motor acting on pulley 65, while angular displacement of lever 60 is possible since gear 69 rotates about the axis of shaft 63 and remains in mesh with gear 68.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for undulating a textile sheet and for transferring the undulated sheet to transporting means, comprising, in combination, shaping transporting means having an undulated surface and adapted to transport said sheet during undulation thereof to a predetermined point; receiving transporting means having holding means thereon and adapted to transport the sheet undulated by said shaping ltransporting means from said predetermined point while the undulations obtained by said shaping transporting means are maintained; and combined forcing and attaching means for forcing the textile sheet into contact with said undulated surface in advance of and up to said predetermined point, and for attaching in the region of said predetermined point said undulated sheet to said holding means of said receiving transporting means, whereby the undulations of said sheet remain unchanged during transfer of the undulated sheet from said shaping transporting means to said receiving transporting means.

2. Apparatus for undulating a textile sheet and for transferring the undulated sheet to transporting means, comprising, in combination, shaping transporting means having undulated opposite lateral surface portions and adapted to transport said sheet during undulation thereof to a predetermined point; receiving transporting means having holding means thereon and adapted to transport the sheet undulated by said undulated portions of said shaping transporting means from said predetermined point while maintaining the undulations obtained by said shaping transporting means; and combined forcing and attaching means for forcing the textile sheet into contact with said undulated surface portions in advance of and up to said predetermined point, and for attaching in the region of said predetermined point said undulated sheet to said holding means of said receiving transportingl means, whereby the undulations of said sheet remain unchanged during transfer of the undulated sheet from said shaping transporting means to said receiving transporting means.

3. Apparatus for undulating a textile sheet and for transferring the undulated sheet to transporting means, comprising, in combination, shaping transporting means including a conveyor belt having undulated opposite lateral surface portions and adapted to transport said sheet during undulation thereof to a predetermined point; receiving transporting means having holding means thereon and adapted to transport the sheet undulated by said undulated portions of said shaping transporting means from said predetermined point while maintaining the undulations obtained by said shaping transporting means; and combined forcing and attaching means for forcing the textile sheet into contact with said undulated surface portions in advance of and up to said predetermined point, and for attaching in the region of said predetermined point said undulated sheet to said holding means of Said receiving transporting means, whereby the undulations of said sheet remain unchanged during transfer of the undulated sheet from said shaping transporting means to said receiving transporting means.

4. Apparatus for undulating a textile sheet and for transferring the undulated sheet to transporting means, comprising, in combination, shaping transporting means including an endless conveyor belt having undulated opposite lateral surface portions and adapted to transport said sheet during undulation thereof to a predetermined point; receiving transporting means having holding means thereon and adapted to transport the sheet undulated by said undulated portions of said shaping transporting means from said predetermined point while maintaining the undulations obtained by said shaping transporting means; and combined forcing and attaching means including a resilient depression roller cooperating with and engaging said undulated surface portions of said conveyor belt for forcing the lateral edge portions of the textile sheet into contact with said undulated surface portions in advance of and up to said predetermined point, and for attaching in the region of said predetermined point said undulated sheet to said holding means of said receiving transporting means, whereby the undulations of said sheet remain unchanged during transfer of the undulated sheet from said shaping transporting means to said receiving transporting means.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, in which said depression roller is loosely suspended above said endless conveyor belt and in which the engagement between said undulated conveyorbelt and the depression roller is produced by the weight of the depression roller bearing against the undulated conveyor belt.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, including adjusting means for the depression roller adapted to adjust said depression roller in a predetermined position with respect to said undulated conveyor belt so as to form in said textile sheet undulations of a predetermined depth.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, and including driving means adapted to drive said endless conveyor belt, said depression roller, and said receiving transporting means at the same speed.

8. Apparatus for undulating a textile sheet and for transferring the undulated sheet to transporting means, comprising, in combination, shaping transporting means including an endless conveyor belt moving at a first predetermined speed having undulated surface portions and adapted to transport said sheet during undulation thereof to a predetermined point; means for feeding a textile sheet at a second predetermined speed onto said undulated surface portions of said shaping transporting means; receiving transporting means having holding means thereon and adapted to transport the sheet undulated by said shaping transporting means from said predetermined point while the undulations obtained by said shaping transporting means are maintained; and combined forcing and attaching means for forcing the textile sheet into contact with said undulated surface portions in advance of and up to said predetermined point, and for attaching in the region of said predetermined point said undulated sheet to said holding means of said receiving transporting means, whereby the undulations of said sheet remain unchanged during transfer of the undulated sheet from said shaping transporting means to said receiving transporting means.

9. Apparatus for undulating a textile sheet and for transferring the undulated sheet to transporting means, comprising, in combination, shaping transporting means including an endless conveyor belt moving at a iirst predetermined speed having undulated surface portions and adapted to transport said sheet during undulation thereof to a predetermined point; means for feeding a textile sheet at a second predetermined speed onto said undulated surface portions of said shaping transporting means, said second predetermined speed being greater than said iirst predetermined speed; receiving transporting means having holding means thereon and adapted to transport the sheet undulated by said shaping transporting means from said predetermined point while the undulations obtained by said shaping transporting means are maintained; and combined forcing and attaching means for forcing the textile sheet into contact with said undulated surface portions in advance of and up to said predetermined point, and for attaching in the region of said predetermined point said undulated sheet to said holding means of said receiving transporting means, whereby the undulations of said sheet remain unchanged during transfer of the undulated sheet from said shaping transporting means to said receiving transporting means.

10. Apparatus for undulating a textile sheet and for transferring the undulated sheet to transporting means, comprising, in combination, shaping transporting means including an endless conveyor belt having undulated surface portions and moving at a rst predetermined speed and adapted to transport said sheet during undulation thereof to a predetermined point; means for feeding a textile sheet at a second predetermined speed onto Said undulated surface portions of said shaping transporting means; receiving transporting means having holding means thereon and adapted to transport the sheet undulated by said shaping transporting means from said predetermined point while the undulations obtained by said shaping transporting means are maintained; combined forcing and attaching means including a resilient depression roller cooperating with and engaging said undulated surface portions of said conveyor belt for forcing portions of said textile sheet into contact with said undulated surface portions in advance of and up to said predetermined point, and for attaching in the region of said predetermined point said undulated sheet to said holding means of said receiving transporting means, whereby the undulations of said sheet remain unchanged during transfer of the undulated sheet from said shaping transporting means to said receiving transporting means; and driving means adapted to separately drive said shaping transporting means, said depression roller and said receiving transporting means.

11. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which said holding means of said receiving transporting means are in tangential contact with said depression roller.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein separate driving means are provided for driving said conveyor belt.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,434,111 Hawley et al. Ian. 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS i 249,848 Switzerland May 1, 1948 656,685 Germany Feb. 12, 1938 741,624 Germany Dec. 22, 1952 911,484 Germany May 13, 1954 698,199 France Nov. 17, 1930 786,426 France June 8, 1935 

